Traditional Mexican Clothing

Lots of people are getting off their couches are enrolling in Ballroom and Latin American dance classes. Dance is a wonderful way to get active, meet new people and discover a wonderful new hobby. However every week though I see beginners not getting the maximum benefit from their class because they don't have the right clothes and shoes.

Shoes are the single most important item for a dancer. Even keen social dancers make sure they have good comfortable shoes. Ballroom and Latin technique involves you sliding your foot over the floor: you cannot do this with athletic shoes, worse you may wreck you knee forcing your foot. Ideally you should have shoes with suede or leather soles. These shoes can't be worn outside though, you'll destroy the soles. If you don't have leather soled shoes get a smooth sole shoe.

Ladies, most ballroom dance steps have you moving backwards, you can't step backwards with a slip on shoe. You can't dance comfortably in a shoe that does not stay on your foot. That means a sandal with a strap or a court shoe that fits properly.

The other important point with shoes is that Ladies they must have a heel: normally 2 1/2" but 2" if you are more comfortable in it. Flat jazz sneakers or ballet slippers will not help you with ballroom and Latin American: your weight has to be towards the front of your foot and the easiest way to achieve that is with a proper shoe.

Men's shoes are easier - just make sure you wear a dress shoe with a relatively smooth sole and not athletic shoes.

Clothing: again its surprising the number of people who wear tight fitting clothing and think they are going to be comfortable dancing. Wear something comfortable but, particularly if you are paying for private coaching, wear clothing that shows your body's line. The reason that ballet dancers typically wear leotards is because that's what shows their body alignment the best. Ballroom is not quite as dramatic but its still essential to wear something that won't ride up at the shoulder and make you look like you've raised your shoulders even if you haven't. For men this eliminates any regular business or sports jacket: only jackets specifically designed for dancing will sit correctly across your shoulder with your arms up in ballroom hold. Most men avoid the problem by wearing a business shirt for ballroom or T-shirt for Latin American. Men's trousers should again not be too full so that his leg line can be seen.

Ladies clothing has an additional issue: American style ballroom particularly you need to wear a mid-calf length skirt so that you have something to play with! A skirt both enhances the dancers movement and hides the rather ugly bent knees which is the technical secrete behind that movement! Obviously a suitable skirt must allow you to stride out and for the man to get his leg between your' so a tight, straight skirt won't work.

A suitable skirt is traditionally made of Lycra and is either 4-gored cut on cross or designed with additional inserts from below the knee. The skirt is not as full as that used for square dancing or rock and roll. For Latin American the skirt is be shorter (optionally a LOT shorter) and trousers are slightly more common, but basically a nice knee-length or shorter, flippy skirt will show movement and your leg line!

All things Latin are considered romantic and sexy, this includes their dances, their men, women and of course their dress styles. In the fashion world Latin dress styles are designed from a mixture of various individual traditions with the emphasis being on shapes and colors. This is why the nuances of the Latin dress styles are so tantalizing and extravagant with lots of movement. They are designed for ease of wear and comfort as well as show and beauty.

There are dresses for all occasions such as ballroom dancing, salsa dancing, tango dancing and they are all designed with a flare for color and movement that can only come from the Latin community. The use of bold colors like black, red, orange and bright blue are a staple of the Latin community’s style, fringes and flare are simple prerequisite. Think of all the beautiful Latin style dresses you’ve seen on Shakira and other notable Spanish musical artists, they have a beautiful drape to the skirts that swirl like no other traditional type of dress. In her “Hips Don’t Lie” video Shakira’s skirts stretches out to arms length away from her body, with enough drape and swirl to emphasize the beauty of her hips, and to show off the rhythm of her dancing in the swishing of the folds. This is true Latin style.

Shawls are another staple of Latin dress styles for women, from peasant workers to precocious preteens you find swishy shawls at work, wrapped around shoulders neatly, to accentuate the colors of the shirt and skirt worn underneath. Or better yet, you find them decorating hips, providing a swish of color, fringe and movement in an otherwise unremarkable outfit. Latin women are thought to be some of the most voluptuous in the world and their jeans and capris work to emphasize and enhance their curves, it is rumored that the current hipster jeans had their start in the Latin community and spread from there.

The men of the Latin community are not forgotten in this article, nor in Latin dress styles. Their shirts, especially for the younger generation, tend to run a little bit tighter than in other circles and in a broader range of colors. Latin men will wear the rainbow, and aren’t bothered by a little thing like pastel colors unlike Anglo men who feel their masculinity threatened by binding clothing. Latin men are full of ‘machismo’; the ideal of perfect masculinity is more along the lines of bravery and boldness, not abstaining from wearing pink. Latin men are proud of their bodies and not ashamed to show them off in their tight t-shirts and jeans. The same goes for Latin women; they appreciate their curves and their hips and love to emphasize the rhythm of their movement with free flowing material that follows that beat.

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